A study led by scientists at the CEAB-CSIC and the CREAF warns about the need of measures for protecting the Montseny newt. They say, in a study recently published, that climate change and changes in vegetation cover in the Montseny Natural Park, jeopardize the long-term viability of this species indigenous from Montseny, which is at risk of extinction.

A project led by the Instituto de Diagnóstico Ambiental y Estudios del Agua of the CSIC seeks to respond to the sustainable urban development queries and improve the water resources of the city. Knowing the concentration of Emerging Organic Pollutants of the water table in Barcelona and its evolution during time are some of the goals.

A work by CSIC and CREAF scientists highlights that wild plants are more fertile and more resistant to pests than traditional crop varieties because their roots release substances that help them to capture more nutrients and fight pathogenic bacteria and fungi in the soil. If these natural properties were transferred to conventional cultivated varieties, agricultural yield could be improved and the ecological impacts of pesticides and industrial fertilizers reduced.

Scientists of the CSIC and the Universidad de Castilla La Mancha have developed a low cost system for the identification of biological specimens. It is an automated and programmable prototype, which enables the determination of water quality indexes.

A research led by the Instituto de Diagnóstico Ambiental y Estudios del Agua (IDAEA-CSIC) reveals how pollution levels vary in a city. The study, which has been carried out in Barcelona, analyses the quality of air, taking account of factors such as distances to the roads and building heights.

The IMAQUA Project is aimed at improving the control of the quality and quantity of water throughout the supply network. A real-time system for monitoring pollutants and helping the decision-making will be developed. Also, tools for display and simulation will be developed, to give managers an easy access to the whole information. It is a European RISCAT Project, and will be tested in Sabadell and Barcelona.

The MITICAP Project, which seeks to mitigate the impact of artisanal fishing in the Cap de Creus (Girona), starts its second phase after a successful first year. The initiative is a collaboration between the Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM-CSIC) and the fishermen guilds of Port de la Selva and Cadaqués. It has the support of the Fundación Biodiversidad from the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition.

A research team of the Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM-CSIC) has developed a new device based on the Internet of Things for monitoring the coastal waters of Barcelona. Through an antenna connected to the community network The Things Network, the devices can transmit data over long distances throughout Barcelona.